Jaguar – Motorsport Week https://www.motorsportweek.com Your daily source of motorsport news, features, results and images Sun, 29 Oct 2023 10:26:05 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.3.2 https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/cropped-favicon-1-32x32.png Jaguar – Motorsport Week https://www.motorsportweek.com 32 32 Evans feeling confident after ‘really beneficial’ Valencia test https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/10/29/evans-feeling-confident-after-really-beneficial-valencia-test/ https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/10/29/evans-feeling-confident-after-really-beneficial-valencia-test/#respond Sun, 29 Oct 2023 10:25:34 +0000 https://www.motorsportweek.com/?p=132831 Mitch Evans topped two of the three sessions in Formula E’s official pre-season test in Valencia, which he admitted was “really beneficial” not only for himself but also for Jaguar TCS Racing. Based on the week of running at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, Jaguar appear to still have the best overall package on the grid, […]]]>

Mitch Evans topped two of the three sessions in Formula E’s official pre-season test in Valencia, which he admitted was “really beneficial” not only for himself but also for Jaguar TCS Racing.

Based on the week of running at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, Jaguar appear to still have the best overall package on the grid, whilst the works team in particular looked incredibly strong. Evans was the quickest driver in the opening session on Tuesday morning prior to the fire, before he was fastest again on Thursday when action got back underway.

The Kiwi was then third quickest on Friday, which brought testing to a close. Evans’ 1m 24.474s lap on Tuesday morning was actually the quickest of the week, giving him “further confidence” ahead of the January season-opener in Mexico City.

It was a faultless week for Evans and the entire Coventry-based team, with 457 laps having been completed between Evans and his new partner Nick Cassidy. It was Cassidy who actually topped Friday’s 10-hour session, meaning it was a clean sweep for Jaguar.

Of the 457 laps completed, 247 of them were courtesy of Evans. He collected an incredible amount of data for the team to go over ahead of Mexico City, something which will be crucial given that the 29-year-old is expecting their rivals to try and “close the gap” before racing gets underway.

“The official test here in Valencia has been really beneficial for both myself and the team,” Evans said.

“I topped the first two session times which is promising and gives me further confidence that the Jaguar I-TYPE 6 has strong pace. However, we’re still 78 days away from the first race in Mexico City and we know that other teams will be doing their best to close the gap and make improvements. I’m looking forward to racing again in January.”

Credit: Sam Bagnall courtesy of FIA Formula E

Whilst his pace looked exemplary throughout testing, it counts for nothing. Unless something truly bizarre happens, Evans will be in the championship fight for a fourth consecutive season. It’s pivotal that he makes the most of Jaguar’s advantage from the get-go, to save him having to do the chasing later in the season.

This was the case in season nine, as a slow start to the Gen3 era left the New Zealander with an incredible amount to do. To put it into some context, Evans was outside the top-10 in the Drivers’ Championship after five rounds last season.

He needs to be at the front instantly, something both himself and the Jaguar I-TYPE 6 have the ability to do.

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Barclay: Addition of Cassidy key to Jaguar’s championship glory ‘objective’ https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/10/19/barclay-addition-of-cassidy-key-to-jaguars-championship-glory-objective/ https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/10/19/barclay-addition-of-cassidy-key-to-jaguars-championship-glory-objective/#respond Thu, 19 Oct 2023 14:11:59 +0000 https://www.motorsportweek.com/?p=130539 Jaguar TCS Racing Team Principal James Barclay has admitted that the signing of Nick Cassidy has put the outfit in a position where they can achieve their “objective”, of winning the Formula E Constructors’ Championship. The Coventry-based outfit were pipped to the season nine crown by customer side Envision Racing, who secured the title by […]]]>

Jaguar TCS Racing Team Principal James Barclay has admitted that the signing of Nick Cassidy has put the outfit in a position where they can achieve their “objective”, of winning the Formula E Constructors’ Championship.

The Coventry-based outfit were pipped to the season nine crown by customer side Envision Racing, who secured the title by just 12 points in the London E-Prix season finale. Cassidy has, of course, made the switch to Jaguar from Envision, to form an all-Kiwi partnership with long-time friend Mitch Evans.

Cassidy and Evans were both mesmeric in season nine and were both unfortunate to be beaten to the Drivers’ Championship by Jake Dennis. The duo had to settle for second and third in the standings, meaning that, on paper, Jaguar boast the strongest and most in-form driver pairing for the sport’s centurion campaign.

Jaguar are the only team on the grid who have a driver pairing that consists of two drivers who finished in the top-five of the 2022/23 standings, making them the clear favourites for the season 10 Constructors’ Championship.

Had it not been for Sam Bird – who Cassidy has replaced – colliding with Evans in Hyderabad and Jakarta, then Jaguar would potentially have gone on to win the season nine title. Formula E is so often decided by fine margins. At least for season 10, the British manufacturer have ensured that they have two powerhouse drivers should one falter.

Above: Evans rejoining the circuit in Hyderabad after being hit by Bird – Credit: Sam Bloxham courtesy of FIA Formula E

This is by no means a criticism of Bird, who on his day remains as one of the quickest drivers on the grid; however, that version of the Briton has been seen too rarely over the last few seasons.

If Cassidy and Evans can avoid a replica of Rome race two – Evans ended up on top of his fellow New Zealander – then Jaguar could dominate the upcoming season in Red Bull-esq fashion. Because of the huge expectation though, that brings with it a lot of pressure for the side to have on their shoulders.

There is no clear number one or number two driver with both Cassidy and Evans being leaders, meaning there is every possibility that both could be fighting for the Drivers’ Championship. Should this be the case, then it’ll give Jaguar something to manage to ensure that, most importantly, an intra-team battle doesn’t impact the team’s pursuit of glory.

When fighting for a title, friendships can quickly turn sour, as most recently seen between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg at Mercedes. If Jaguar can manage their driver pairing correctly, then signing Cassidy will prove to be a work of genius. But if a feud or rivalry develops, then Jaguar could find themselves as their own worst enemy.

All will be answered when racing gets underway in January in Mexico City, but until then Barclay is confident that Cassidy can support the team’s title pursuit, something he confirmed following Jaguar’s launch of their season 10 livery.

Above: Jaguar have made minor changes to their asymmetric livery for season 10 – Credit: Jaguar TCS Racing

“Everyone at Jaguar TCS Racing is hugely motivated, recharged and ready to be racing again in the 2024 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship,” said Barclay.

“Last season saw some incredibly competitive racing in the pinnacle of electric motorsport and we are all very proud of the car we produced and how we performed in what was our most successful season to date.

“As a team, we are always striving for the next step and we are incredibly motivated to once again fight for the World Championship in 2024. We have come incredibly close for the last three seasons and this consistency is testament to everyone in the organisation.

“With Nick joining the team alongside Mitch, I believe we have the driver line-up to help us with this objective. This tenth season of Formula E brings with it the addition of a new race in Tokyo, an iconic and important city that once again reinforces Formula E’s World Championship and pinnacle of electric racing status.

“We look forward to the new challenges it will bring and to seeing Japanese fans enjoying Formula E.”

Above: Jaguar Team Principal James Barclay – Credit: Simon Galloway courtesy of FIA Formula E
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Jaguar retain asymmetric livery for 2023/24 https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/10/17/jaguar-retain-asymmetric-livery-for-2023-24/ https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/10/17/jaguar-retain-asymmetric-livery-for-2023-24/#respond Tue, 17 Oct 2023 08:35:28 +0000 https://www.motorsportweek.com/?p=130155 Season nine Vice Champion’s Jaguar TCS Racing have retained their asymmetric livery for the 2023/24 season, with their eye-catching design having undergone minimal changes. The Coventry-based side unveiled their livery for season 10 on Tuesday morning, with it only featuring small changes, particularly to some of their sponsors’ logos. This is most prominent on the […]]]>

Season nine Vice Champion’s Jaguar TCS Racing have retained their asymmetric livery for the 2023/24 season, with their eye-catching design having undergone minimal changes.

The Coventry-based side unveiled their livery for season 10 on Tuesday morning, with it only featuring small changes, particularly to some of their sponsors’ logos. This is most prominent on the side of the Jaguar I-TYPE 6, with title partner Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) having a new all-white logo.

As well as the style of design, Jaguar have also kept the black, white and gold colour scheme, which is expected to feature at the front once again.

Jaguar arguably boast the most in-form driver pairing for the new campaign, as Nick Cassidy has moved from Envision Racing to replace Sam Bird. Cassidy has formed an all-Kiwi partnership with Mitch Evans, who has been retained for an eighth season.

Cassidy finished second in the Drivers’ Championship last season and collected eight podiums –including four victories – along the way, impressive form he’s hoping to replicate starting in Mexico City.

“Last season was my best performance in Formula E to date and it felt incredible to bring the fight for the World Championship down to the final weekend,” said Cassidy.

“Joining Jaguar TCS Racing is a really exciting move for me, and I am hungrier than ever. I can’t wait to see what Mitch, the team and I can achieve together when we hit the race track in January.”

Right behind Cassidy in the championship in season nine was Evans, who fell short of the crown once again. He still had a sensational campaign which saw him feature on the rostrum seven times – including four wins – whilst he was also victorious in the duels on three occasions.

Evans has “come so close for a number of years” and is “determined” to finally clinch the Drivers’ Championship, something his team-mate will also be targeting.

“Last season the team and I experienced some amazing highs but also some lows together – which is common in motorsport,” said Evans.

“To achieve four wins was great and getting another top three finish in the drivers’ championship is something I’m proud of. 2023 was a good year, but obviously left us wanting more as a team. And that has ultimately spurred us on for the upcoming season and I am determined to fight for the World Championship again. I’ve come so close for a number of years now.”

Given that Cassidy and Evans finished second and third last season, Jaguar are the favourites to win the Constructors’ Championship, something the British manufacturer have never accomplished.

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Looking ahead: Are Jaguar TCS Racing the team to beat in 2024? https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/09/25/looking-ahead-are-jaguar-tcs-racing-the-team-to-beat-in-2024/ Mon, 25 Sep 2023 18:10:36 +0000 https://www.motorsportweek.com/?p=125911 Jaguar TCS Racing may have narrowly missed out on the season nine Constructors’ Championship, but the Coventry-based side arguably enter the new campaign as the hot favourites for the crown. As a Formula E manufacturer, Jaguar made a strong start to the Gen3 era and continued their upward trend, which has developed over the last […]]]>

Jaguar TCS Racing may have narrowly missed out on the season nine Constructors’ Championship, but the Coventry-based side arguably enter the new campaign as the hot favourites for the crown.

As a Formula E manufacturer, Jaguar made a strong start to the Gen3 era and continued their upward trend, which has developed over the last few seasons. Alongside Porsche, Jaguar made the most successful transition from Gen2 to Gen3 and in many ways developed the must-have powertrain of 2023.

Most of the manufacturers in Formula E developed a powertrain which was either strong over one-lap or very efficient, with Jaguar having really been the only supplier to have designed a powertrain which was effective in both areas.

Across their four cars, Jaguar claimed the most race wins in the 2022/23 season, with the factory team’s Mitch Evans having picked up four wins, as did Envision Racing’s – Jaguar’s customer team – Nick Cassidy. The British manufacturer had the winning powertrain on eight occasions in the first season of Gen3, meaning that a Jaguar-powered driver was victorious in 50% of the races.

Above: Evans claimed four wins in 2023, as did Cassidy – Credit: Sam Bloxham courtesy of FIA Formula E

The second best manufacturer was Porsche, who picked up six wins across their two teams as well as the Drivers’ Championship, courtesy of Andretti’s Jake Dennis. It was Jaguar who picked up the Constructors’ Championship, but via their customer team, rather than the full factory outfit.

Whilst the works team insisted that they were delighted for Envision, being beaten to the title by their customer team must have been a kick in the teeth and understandably so. Throughout the entirety of 2023, Mexico City and Jakarta were really the only two venues where the Jaguars all struggled, highlighting their impressive consistency.

As well as claiming the most victories out of all the powertrain suppliers, Jaguar also secured more pole positions than anyone else. Six pole positions were achieved by the famous manufacturer, whilst the next best were Nissan and Stellantis, who both had one of their powered cars start from P1 three times.

If that wasn’t enough for Jaguar, they also racked up more podium finishes in 2023 than any other manufacturer. 20 podium finishes were achieved by Jaguar-powered drivers, two more than were secured by Porsche’s four cars. Along with the German manufacturer, Jaguar-powered cars also managed to claim the fastest lap in six E-Prixs.

The statistics don’t lie. Jaguar were the most successful powertrain supplier in season nine, but why are the works team the favourites to claim the season 10 crown, rather than Envision?

Jaguar TCS Racing’s supreme driver pairing

Above: Cassidy (left) and Evans (right) will contest S10 as Jaguar TCS Racing team-mates – Credit: Sam Bagnall courtesy of FIA Formula E

Envision’s charge to their first Constructors’ Championship was led superbly by Cassidy, who was the season nine Vice Champion behind Dennis. For 2024, the Kiwi has moved from Jaguar’s customer team to the main outfit, replacing Sam Bird who has moved 95 miles south from Coventry to Woking, to join the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team.

Cassidy is forming an all-Kiwi partnership with Evans, in what is, without a shadow of a doubt, the most in-form driver pairing on the season 10 grid. Jaguar have at their disposal the drivers who came second and third last season and were responsible for all of the powertrain supplier’s wins, as well as 15 of their rostrums.

Evans, too often in season nine, was left to fight for the team by himself, with Bird’s recent campaign having been inconsistent. With Cassidy onboard, the factory Jaguar squad have two drivers who should be fighting for the podium in every single round virtually, if they carry over their 2023 form into 2024.

Jaguar are the one manufacturer who really don’t have much to do ahead of pre-season testing, given that they were consistently successful both in qualifying and in the races.

Based on Evans’ and Cassidy’s season nine campaigns, Jaguar could very easily cruise to the season 10 crown in Red Bull-esq fashion, should Norman Nato not be able to support Dennis at Andretti and if TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team’s one-lap woes continue.

Having two of the most in-form drivers in the championship is in many ways a blessing and a curse for Jaguar, with the last thing they need in 2024 being an intra-team rivalry. That is the risk they’ve taken by signing Cassidy, given that if the duo avoid clashing with one another, it could prove to be a dream signing for the team.

With all of that in mind, it’s safe to say that ahead of pre-season testing next month, Jaguar TCS Racing are the favourites for the 2024 title. However, will it be Evans or Cassidy who finishes highest in the Drivers’ Championship?

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Evans: ‘Definitely some disappointment’ amid title defeat https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/08/14/evans-definitely-some-disappointment-amid-title-defeat/ Mon, 14 Aug 2023 12:03:15 +0000 https://www.motorsportweek.com/?p=119045 Mitch Evans admitted that there was “definitely some disappointment” in having missed out on the Formula E World Championship yet again, following a titanic battle with Jake Dennis and Nick Cassidy. Dennis ultimately beat Evans and Cassidy to the crown thanks to a record-breaking campaign, which saw the Avalanche Andretti driver secure 11 podiums from […]]]>

Mitch Evans admitted that there was “definitely some disappointment” in having missed out on the Formula E World Championship yet again, following a titanic battle with Jake Dennis and Nick Cassidy.

Dennis ultimately beat Evans and Cassidy to the crown thanks to a record-breaking campaign, which saw the Avalanche Andretti driver secure 11 podiums from 16 races. It was the two New Zealanders who claimed the most victories in 2023 though, with four apiece.

Evans had to settle for third in the Drivers’ Championship after Cassidy won the final race of the season in London, a weekend which saw Evans finish first in the opening race and second in the finale.

The Jaguar TCS Racing driver has now lost out on the title at the season finale for three consecutive seasons, with three times most certainly not being the charm for Evans. Due to the fact he was in the title fight right till the end, though, it’s easy to forget that after the opening five races, he wasn’t even in the top 10 in the Drivers’ Championship.

Evans endured a miserable start to season nine, which saw him collect just 11 points from the first five events. This number would’ve been higher if he weren’t taken out by his team-mate in Hyderabad, when challenging for the podium.

The 29-year-old’s season truly came to life in São Paulo, where he clinched his first victory of the season in what was a Jaguar powertrain 1-2-3. This result finally promoted him into the top 10 in the standings, before he threw himself into title contention after winning at the following race in Berlin.

He went on to finish fourth in the second of two races in the German capital, with him boasting significant momentum. This momentum pushed him on to claim second in Monaco, behind his 2024 team-mate Cassidy.

However, his momentum and title charge was crushed somewhat in the opening race at the Jakarta double-header, after he was taken out by Sam Bird yet again. This seriously put Evans on the back foot in the championship fight, as he occupied fifth.

Fifth became fourth in the second race in Jakarta though, where he put on a strong defensive display to claim P3. His performance at the following round in Portland was arguably one of his best of 2023, as he recovered from P20 to P4 in a race which featured over 400 overtakes. However, he still found himself 32 points off the top of the championship.

At this point, Evans recognised that only perfection would win him the title, something he showed at his beloved Rome, where in the first of two races he claimed pole position, victory and the fastest lap. His hard work was undone in the second race, where he retired early on after an error saw him launch over Cassidy.

By this point, he was very much an outsider for the championship and required Dennis to falter. Unfortunately for the Kiwi, Dennis did all he needed to in London to clinch the World Championship. A fourth victory of the season and a second place was still a strong way to end the campaign for Evans, who is “proud” of his and Jaguar’s efforts.

It wasn’t just Evans who lost out, as the Jaguar factory side also missed out on the Constructors’ Championship, which went to their customer team, Envision Racing. Season nine has nevertheless been another exceptional year for Evans, who “accepted” earlier in the season that his chances of winning the title were slim.

“No, I’m definitely proud of myself. I’m proud of what the team’s done,” Evans told Motorsport Week following the final race of the season in London.

“I’m disappointed, though, four wins, many podiums, to not walk away with the title, but at one point I think I was like 80 points behind. So to come back, and I kind of lost it, not lose interest, but I kind of just accepted I probably wouldn’t be fighting for the championship.

“We turned things around massively and to come into this weekend still in the fight was strong, but, yeah, I would say there’s definitely some disappointment, but I’ve got to kind of accept that. And Jake and Nick did a great job this year.

“Every time I had a good result, they’re always there and when they had a good result, I was. It was one of those years.”

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Cassidy confirmed as new Jaguar TCS Racing driver https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/08/07/cassidy-confirmed-as-new-jaguar-tcs-racing-driver/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 08:24:50 +0000 https://www.motorsportweek.com/?p=118414 Season nine runner-up Nick Cassidy has officially been confirmed as a Jaguar TCS Racing driver, having made the switch from customer team Envision Racing. The move has unofficially been known for a while; however, the Coventry-based team finally announced the huge signing on Monday morning. Cassidy completes an exciting all-Kiwi line-up with Mitch Evans for […]]]>

Season nine runner-up Nick Cassidy has officially been confirmed as a Jaguar TCS Racing driver, having made the switch from customer team Envision Racing.

The move has unofficially been known for a while; however, the Coventry-based team finally announced the huge signing on Monday morning. Cassidy completes an exciting all-Kiwi line-up with Mitch Evans for the 2024 season, after replacing Sam Bird.

Cassidy enjoyed a sensational third season in Formula E which saw him come incredibly close to the Drivers’ Championship, only for an incident in the opening race of the London season finale with former Envision team-mate Sébastian Buemi to end his chances.

Despite this, the 28-year-old bounced back in some style in the second and final race of the season in London, where he secured pole position and a fourth win of 2023. His result was enough to secure Envision the Constructors’ Championship, and deny Jaguar the crown.

As well as claiming four victories in 2023, Cassidy also finished on the rostrum a further four times, with his victory in Portland being one of his standout performances.

His move to Jaguar is a deserving one for the Auckland-born driver, who is “very excited” to race for a team with “such a successful motorsport history”.

“I’m very excited to be joining the Jaguar TCS Racing team for the 2024 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship and looking forward to racing for a team like Jaguar that has such a successful motorsport history,” Cassidy said.

“This season has been my most successful to date, so I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of the Jaguar I-TYPE 6 and fight for points, podiums and wins.

“Looking forward to having Mitch as a teammate, we have known each other since we were kids and have raced against each other for years, so I’m proud that we will be racing together and hope to continue to put New Zealand on the map in motorsport.”

With Cassidy onboard, Jaguar stand a much better chance of winning the title in season 10, due to Evans having often been the team’s only hope of victory the last two seasons. Bird struggled to compete with Evans in season eight and season nine, something which has arguably seen the side need to sign a current frontrunner.

Cassidy very much fits that criteria, something Team Principal James Barclay pointed out when revealing his pleasure at the signing of the New Zealander.

“We are thrilled to announce that Nick Cassidy has joined Jaguar TCS Racing,” Barclay said.

“Nick’s track record speaks for itself and he is someone we have always had our eye on back to his time racing in Japan. Since joining Formula E he has gone from strength to strength and his 2023 season was very impressive. Nick was highly motivated to join the team and we are proud to welcome him into the Jaguar family.

“We head into the new season with one of the strongest driver line-ups on the grid and, paired with the Jaguar I-TYPE 6 and our talented team, we will be looking to once again challenge for both the Drivers and Teams World Championship titles.”

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Evans signs multi-year contract extension with Jaguar https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/08/03/evans-signs-multi-year-contract-extension-with-jaguar/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 09:28:28 +0000 https://www.motorsportweek.com/?p=117821 Mitch Evans has signed a multi-year contract extension with Jaguar TCS Racing, following the conclusion of the 2022/23 Formula E season. Following last weekend’s final round of the season in London, Jaguar have quickly confirmed that Evans’ seven-year journey with the team won’t be ending anytime soon. Evans has raced for the British manufacturer since […]]]>

Mitch Evans has signed a multi-year contract extension with Jaguar TCS Racing, following the conclusion of the 2022/23 Formula E season.

Following last weekend’s final round of the season in London, Jaguar have quickly confirmed that Evans’ seven-year journey with the team won’t be ending anytime soon.

Evans has raced for the British manufacturer since they joined the all-electric series in 2016, with him having gone on to claim 25 podiums for the side, including 10 victories. Seven of those podiums and four of those wins came this season alone.

The New Zealander has enjoyed a stellar campaign this year, which ended with a victory and a podium at the London E-Prix. Whilst he fell short of the Drivers’ Championship once again, he asserted his place as being one of the strongest drivers on the grid.

He’s an incredible asset to Jaguar, who are clearly keen to retain the 29-year-old for as long as possible. Evans has admitted that remaining with the Coventry-based team going forwards was the “natural choice”, with him now looking forward to their “next chapter together”.

“Having been with Jaguar TCS Racing since 2016, it was the natural choice to continue our successful partnership,” Evans said.

“We’ve had some incredible moments over the last seven years and I’m looking forward to writing our next chapter together. I am proud to race for Jaguar and play my part with the team in JLR’s Reimagine strategy.”

Evans finished the 2022/23 season third in the standings, having taken the title fight down to the penultimate round of the season. Had it not been for his error in Rome, then the last race of the season would’ve likely decided the championship.

Based on how strong he’s been this year though, and how good Jaguar’s Gen3 powertrain has been, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Evans at the sharp end again in 2024.

Team Principal James Barclay is very happy to have retained Evans on a multi-year deal, with the driver being viewed as “one of the founding members” of the British team.

“It’s an absolute pleasure to confirm that Mitch remains a key part of Jaguar TCS Racing for the 2024 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship and beyond,” stated Barclay.

“Mitch has been one of the founding members of the team since Jaguar returned to racing in 2016 and is now one of the longest serving drivers in Jaguar’s history. The fact that our future remains together for a new chapter is an accolade we are both proud of.

“Mitch has time and again demonstrated that he is one of the most talented drivers in the world, so we are pleased that our formidable partnership continues. I’m excited to build on the successes we have enjoyed to date and challenging for more championships together.”

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Bird officially departs Jaguar after three seasons https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/07/31/bird-officially-departs-jaguar-after-three-seasons/ Mon, 31 Jul 2023 20:16:15 +0000 https://www.motorsportweek.com/?p=117600 Following the conclusion of the 2022/23 Formula E season, it’s been confirmed that Sam Bird has left Jaguar TCS Racing after three seasons with the team. Whilst Bird’s departure had unofficially been known for some time, it was officially confirmed by the Coventry-based team following the end of the season finale in London. The British […]]]>

Following the conclusion of the 2022/23 Formula E season, it’s been confirmed that Sam Bird has left Jaguar TCS Racing after three seasons with the team.

Whilst Bird’s departure had unofficially been known for some time, it was officially confirmed by the Coventry-based team following the end of the season finale in London.

The British driver is set to be replaced by Nick Cassidy, who claimed victory in the final race of the season on Sunday to clinch Envision Racing the Constructors’ Championship.

Bird has reportedly secured a seat in the all-electric series for 2024 and is believed to be moving to NEOM McLaren to partner fellow countryman Jake Hughes, in what’ll be an all-British set up.

The 36-year-old’s now former team-mate Mitch Evans spoke about his “great relationship” with the Formula E veteran after the second race in London, and how he’s “really enjoyed working with him” since season seven.

“Sam’s been a great teammate, bar Hyderabad and Jakarta,” Evans joked to Motorsport Week.

“But we’ve had a great relationship since he entered the team. I got so much respect for Sam. I think in terms of stats, he’s still one of the best in Formula E. He’s had a tricky period with us personally and also just on the racing side. But, yeah, I’ve really enjoyed working with him so far. So let’s see what happens next.”

Change is ultimately needed for Bird in Formula E, with his switch to Jaguar having not reached the expected heights. When he made the move from Envision to Jaguar in 2021, many saw this as the British manufacturer’s missing piece to becoming a title contender.

In actual fact, it’s been Evans who’s led the side, whilst Bird has struggled. Bird has claimed just two wins for the team in the last three years, as well as a further five podiums. Four of those five rostrums came this season, in what’s been a better year for the driver.

Controversy has followed Bird this season though, most notably after he took out his team-mate in Hyderabad and Jakarta. Had it not been for either incident, Jaguar would’ve beaten Envision to the Constructors’ Standings. Evans, too, would’ve likely taken the championship fight to the last race of the year.

Bird has just failed to extract the most from Jaguar’s Gen2 and Gen3 packages, which has clearly boasted pace as proven by Evans. The Briton is definitely still quick enough to be a championship contender, but a new environment does appear to be needed.

He’s simply lacked the consistency needed to feature near the top of the championship, whilst he’s also made far too many driver errors. A new environment at McLaren would potentially give him a chance to reset, especially as he’s unlikely to have the pressure of a team-mate fighting for the title.

That’s by no means a discredit to Hughes, who has enjoyed a superb rookie campaign. It usually takes a driver a couple of seasons to truly adjust to Formula E, whilst McLaren also need a more efficient package to be amongst the fight at the front.

Bird openly admitted after the season finale that he isn’t where he “fully” wants to be performance wise, but that he had been “more competitive” than he’d been in 2022.

“In part, yes. That I have been far more competitive,” Bird told Motorsport Week, when asked if he’d made the progress he wanted to achieve in season nine.

“I’ve scored nearly 100 points. I’ve had four podiums. I’ve been on the front row many times. I’ve made the duels multiple times. So, in a way, yes. Am I where I fully want to be? No. But, yeah, I was more competitive this year, for sure.”

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Evans needing a ‘miracle weekend’ to become World Champion https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/07/29/evans-needing-a-miracle-weekend-to-become-world-champion/ Sat, 29 Jul 2023 08:36:12 +0000 https://www.motorsportweek.com/?p=117173 Mitch Evans has admitted that he needs a “miracle weekend” to become the 2022/23 Formula E World Champion, at the London E-Prix season finale. The ExCeL Centre’s unique indoor/outdoor circuit plays host to the final two rounds of season nine, with Evans very much being the title outsider. Evans heads into the final weekend of […]]]>

Mitch Evans has admitted that he needs a “miracle weekend” to become the 2022/23 Formula E World Champion, at the London E-Prix season finale.

The ExCeL Centre’s unique indoor/outdoor circuit plays host to the final two rounds of season nine, with Evans very much being the title outsider.

Evans heads into the final weekend of the season 44 points behind championship leader Jake Dennis and 20 behind second-place Nick Cassidy, with 58 points up for grabs in East London.

The New Zealander would’ve been considerably closer had he not retired at the second race in Rome a fortnight ago, after locking his rears and launching over the top of Cassidy.

He knows that only a perfect weekend in London will see him clinch the championship, whilst he also recognises that he needs his title rivals to have a “nightmare”.

It’s not just the Drivers’ Championship that the Kiwi has to consider though, with Jaguar TCS Racing being very much in the fight for the Constructors’ crown.

Jaguar sit 25 points behind customer team Envision Racing and 11 behind TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, who are perhaps less suited to the indoor/outdoor circuit than the two Jaguar-powered teams.

The Teams’ Championship is the “real massive focus” for Evans and the Coventry-based outfit at their home E-Prix, as the 29-year-old is “not really expecting” to overcome his sizeable deficit in the Drivers’ Standings.

“I doubt it, it pains me to say that, but I’m just trying to be realistic,” Evans told Motorsport Week, when asked if he can become World Champion this weekend.

“Yeah, I can’t unless I have a miracle weekend where obviously I need to win both races or pretty much win both races and Jake and Nick to have a nightmare. Look, stranger things have happened, but I’m not banking on that too much.

“Obviously, we’ve got a great shot on the Teams’. That’s a real massive focus for us and more of a possibility. So, if we can come out on top of that, I’ll be happy with that, to get our first world championship.

“So, look, we’ll see what happens, but I’m in a really chilled mindset. Not really expecting it to happen, but hopefully I’m wrong.”

Evans went well in free practice 1 and ended the opening session of the season finale in fifth, ahead of Cassidy and Dennis.

Free practice 2 gets underway Saturday morning at 10:30 GMT.

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Jaguar ‘incredibly motivated’ to fight for both titles https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/07/26/jaguar-incredibly-motivated-to-fight-for-both-titles/ Wed, 26 Jul 2023 07:00:00 +0000 https://www.motorsportweek.com/?p=116753 Jaguar TCS Racing head to the 2023 Formula E season finale “incredibly motivated” to fight for both titles at the London E-Prix, where they’ll be celebrating their home event. The Coventry-based team head to the British capital third in the Constructors’ Championship and 25 points behind customer team Envision Racing, in what looks set to […]]]>

Jaguar TCS Racing head to the 2023 Formula E season finale “incredibly motivated” to fight for both titles at the London E-Prix, where they’ll be celebrating their home event.

The Coventry-based team head to the British capital third in the Constructors’ Championship and 25 points behind customer team Envision Racing, in what looks set to be a thrilling showdown.

Jaguar do have a much better chance of winning the Teams’ crown than the Drivers’ Championship, with Mitch Evans being 44 points behind Jake Dennis.

Evans requires a phenomenal weekend to leave London as World Champion, with the odds being very much against him.

With a maximum of 58 points up for grabs across the double-header, the New Zealander will require some luck to become Formula E World Champion.

Evans’ scary collision in Rome with Nick Cassidy, which saw the Jaguar driver launch over the top of his fellow countryman, put a huge dent in his and the team’s title chances.

Despite the 29-year-old’s and Jaguar’s race two woes in the Italian capital, the British manufacturer are still entering the season finale as championship contenders, for the third consecutive season.

Team Principal James Barclay believes this is a sign of the “impressive consistency and determination” on display at Jaguar, whilst Envision topping the standings shows that the I-TYPE 6 has been an emphatic package in the start of the Gen3 era.

“I am extremely proud that we go into the final race weekend of the 2023 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship with Jaguar TCS Racing once again in the top three of the team World Championship standings,” said Barclay.

“For the last three seasons, we have gone into the final race weekend in a position to fight for either the driver or team championship, this shows the impressive consistency and determination this team has.

“In addition, our customer team Envision Racing are also in the top three of the World Championship teams’ standings. Securing six wins and 16 podiums between us, since starting in January, shows how competitive the Jaguar I-TYPE 6 and both teams have been this season.

“With only the double-header finale left to go, we are incredibly motivated to give it our best one more time for both championships in London.”

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